Abijam Reigns over Judah

1Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was [†]Maacah the daughter of [†]Abishalom. 3And he walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not [†]wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, like the heart of his father David. 4But for David’s sake Yahweh his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; 5because David did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 6Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

7Now the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place.

Asa Reigns over Judah

9Now in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. 10And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11And Asa did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, like David his father. 12He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made. 13[†]He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image [†]for Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14But the high places were not removed; nevertheless the heart of Asa was [†]wholly devoted to Yahweh all his days. 15And he brought into the house of Yahweh the holy things of his father and his own holy things: silver and gold and utensils.

Asa Wars Against Baasha

16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built up Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19“Let there be a covenant between [†]you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 20So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his military force against the cities of Israel, and struck down Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah and all Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali. 21Now it happened that when Baasha heard of it, he ceased building up Ramah and remained in Tirzah. 22Then King Asa caused an announcement to be heard throughout all Judah—none was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building. And King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might and all that he did and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab Reigns over Israel

25Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin. 27Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

28So Baasha put him to death in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became king in his place. 29Now it happened that as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone who drew breath, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger.

31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

Baasha Reigns over Israel

33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel at Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years. 34And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel sin.